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Alwyn Van der Merwe
Summary
Alwyn van der Merwe (born November 1927 in South Africa) is an American theoretical physicist. He is Emeritus Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Denver.
As a young man, Alwyn van der Merwe graduated at the top of his class every year throughout his high school and university studies.
An aspiring physicist, he attended the University of Stellenbosch, completing both his bachelor's degree in 1947 and master's degree in 1949 with summa cum laude honors.
He received the Queen Victoria Scholarship in 1949 to begin his doctoral studies in physics at the University of Amsterdam. It is awarded each year to the best student in South Africa. He also received an academic gold medal from the South African government for his performance in the subject of history, an honor given out only once a year.
Van der Merwe studied theoretical physics at the University of Amsterdam under Professors Jan de Boer and S. A. Wouthuysen and received doctorates from the University of Amsterdam and, later, the University of Bern, where he graduated summa cum laude.
Fresh from Amsterdam, he taught applied mathematics at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, first as lecturer then as senior lecturer.
Continuing his postdoctoral work, Alwyn van der Merwe was a research associate of Professor of Physics and Natural Philosophy Henry Margenau at Yale University and Professor Hans Jensen, a 1963 Nobel Prize winner, at the University of Heidelberg.
His first appointment in the United States was at Carleton College, in Northfield, Minnesota, where he filled an assistant professorship for two years. This is where he met his Swedish wife, Inga, who was also a faculty member. Inga encouraged him to apply at Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY), which she had recently visited. His application was favorably received, and while waiting for his interview, he was offered the position of assistant professor, sight unseen.
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